Means for electric ignition for vapor-engines.



No. 633.275. Patented Sept. 4%; aw

c. c. mom-1.

MEANS FOR ELECTRIC IGNITION FOR VAPOR ENGINES.

. (Application filed Jan. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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' A ppiicetlon filed January 6, 1899 Beriol No 701,926. (Eu model.)

To oil whom, it Myanmar-2t: sa-id armature-winding, except through the Be it known that-I, CARL U. RIOTTE, it citizeo ofihe United States,reeiding at New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Electric Ignition for'Vaper-Engines, of which the following is a full,

clear, ond e'xact description;

My invention relates to an improvement in means for electrical ignition for vapor-em gioes; and my object is to provide to construction which wili be simple, inexpensive, automatic, and positive in its elotion.

Many other advantages of my invention will appear-on inspection of the followingdrewings, in which Figorel represents in diagram 3 twocylinder vapor-engine with the preferred form of my dynamo connected therwithu: Fig. 2

is'a, eectioneiview of my dynamo; Fig.3 is? e detail ofthe sparking device, and Fig.4 is

line-circuit embracing in this embodiment wire 22, the electrodes 25 28, end the ceeiig of the engin e, herein after described. 7 Another segment of the commutator is insulated from the other parts oriney be for-med of Roma insulating materiel, as shown.

. ldand 17 are brushes restin commutator and preferably touching the mine at opposite points and located so that one of them will he in contact with the segment 14 at each of the points of greotest eiootromotivc force in the rotation of the armature-401' instance, as shown in 1.

in Fig; 2. In the preferred embodiment of these brushholders 1B is a. hollow plug ftS- toned in a hole in the com'mutator-cesinglfi.

is an insulating material between this plug g againstthe I These brushes end their brush-holders are shown in detail e further deteilof the cushioning-device for enememh'er of the some. i intheopenying drawings, showing the preferred-form c?myinyention,1 is a casing for e vapor-engine, heaving cylinders 2 and 3. "Within these cylinders move, preferably oi ieL-"Irstely, reciproceting pistons 4 and 5, con elected to cranks 6 end? of the driving-shaft 8. This casing i in the preferred embodimerit made of some electrically-conducting materiel, such as iron or steel, es'mey be also the driving-shafts.

The preferred form of my dynamo to-gen crate electricity for the/sparking device is shownin detail in Fig. 2 rind in diegremin Fig". i. 9 9 are the pole-pieces oi the field-magnet 10. Between the pole-pieces rotates an arms- 0' tux-e 11 in this embodiment a shuttlewound armature carried on armature-shaft i2, which maybe a. continuation of driving-shaft 8, as shown, so that said armature wili rotate synchronously with said riving-shaft. Que end of the ermetoie-coil-Q is electrically connected to the armature-shaft 12, as shown in Fig. 1, and the other endof the coil, as shown in diagram in Fig. 1, is electrically connected to a difvision or segment 14 of an automatic switch, do this embodiment a divided commie-Moria.- F This segment 14; is otherwise insulated from screws an internally-threaded cap 21, which may cooperate with a shoulder onjthe plug form it binding-post for a wire 22. The brush 'iiself in this embodiment is of a cup-shape and is heldwithin the hole in the plug so as iobe free to slide and be guided therein, 23 is. aooiledlspring attached at one end to the inside oftlie erosh'and at the other end to Be the cap 2l,if desired, which constitutes a re: mining means for said .brush, so that when the cap-is removed from the plug-the brush maybe drown. outwith it. The other brushholder and brush may be a counterpart of the one j not described. 25 and 26 are two electrodes of it soothing device-for and preferably in said cyl nder 2 and located near the limit of movement of piston 4. Electrode 25 is in this embodiment 9o fix'ed and carried'on a sheft 24-, insulated from the casing; but electrode 26 isniovable and may be normally in contact with the other. These electrodes are connected by a c rcuit embracing in this embodiment the cesingof 5 the engine, theeheft and winding of the ormature, and the linewire 22,: as shown in F g. 1. The piston at carries a projection 27,wi uc h whenthe piston reaches, preferably, the. limit of its stroke strikes against one member of the sparking device end usitomoticellyoperates the sparking device in this embodiment cuit formed in this embodiment by wire 22,

the sparking device, the casing of the engine; the shaft of the armature, and the armaturewinding. When the projectionfZT separates the electrodes, a spark will thus he produced which will ignite the vaporin the casing 2 ,jcction 31 therefrom.

and drive forward the piston 4. As the dynamo is at this moment impressing on said circuit its greatest clcctromotive force, a strong spark will be produced.

Referring now to Fig. '3, 2-1 is a shaft pass ing through the casing l and insulated therefrom by some insulating material 29. This shaft carries on its end, preferably within the casing, an electrode consisting inthis embodiment of. a head -and a reduced pro- The outer end of the rod may be screw-threzuled and carry a nut 32 toform a binding-post, ifdesired. 3 3 isa second shaft fastened in a bearing in the cas-,

ing 1 so as to be rotatable therein, and said shaft is electrically-connect-ed with the casing.

"lhis shaft carries within the cy'li nder a second electrode 3-1, in this embodimentin the form of an arm, having a curved contact-face 35 to fit the contour of the projection 31 and, also having a beveled side 36, which'side when said electrode 3.4. is tn rned into cont-act with the other electrode will have a frictional contact with the head 30, which will serve to keep the contact parts bright and form a good electrical connection. 37 is a head on the shaft without the casing, and between this head and the casing is a spring 38, pressing outward the shaft 33, which is movable longitu-.

dinally,'as welLas rotatable in its bearing. From the shaft 33, also outside of the casing, projects an arm 39,to which isattaeheda spring 40, tending to press said electrode 34 into contact with the other electrode.

the movable electrode, said electrode would 'be broughtagainst the opposite one suddenly and with a shock, depending upon the speed of the piston and the strength of the spring 40. To reduce this shock and allow the electrodes to come in contact gently, I have provided a cushioning device consisting in this embodiment of an air-chamber or dash-pot t1 and a piston 42, moving therein, connected with the arm 30. This arm hasa hole therein through which passes the piston-rod it. and 46 are heads preferably rounded on their opposing surfaces, as shown, so as to allow of a universal movement of said shaft 4-l in said hole. The air chanibcr 41- may also be pivoted to ihceasing, if desired. 47 are holes in the bottom of the air-chamber for the entrance and exit of air. When the projecl-iou L" eaves the movnbhelectrode, the

spring to will tend to draw it uickly back into contact with the other electrode; butt-he piston -l:. will enter the air-chamber ll and will tend to conlpress'lhc air therein. The

air willcscape slowly through the holes 47' and allow the electrode ill to come gcntlyinto contact with the other electrode and will thus prevent any shock.

28 is a wire connecting the brush 17 with a sparking device in the cylinder 3, which may be similar to that just described. The pistons are preferably connected to oppositelydisposed bell-crankson the shaft 8. Before the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 1

segment 14 will come into contact withbrtish 16, closing the circuit through the electrode! as the sparking device is about to be operated. After the piston has operated the sparking device and the spark has passd,segment 14 will break contact with brush 16, opening the circuit, and by a further revolution of drlving-shaft'o the armature will be given part of a turn, bringing the segment ]t of the commutator into contact with the brush 1? and the brush 16 into contact with the insulated segment 15 of the commutator. When a half-revolution from the position shown in Fig. 1 is given, the dynamo will be again generating its greatest electromotive force and :1. current will be passing from the brush 1') through the wire 28 and sparking device in the cylinder-3b ck through the casing of the engine and the s iaft of the armature to and through the armature-coil in substantially the same manner as before. A projection 48 on piston 5 will then strike the movable electrode of the sparking device in cylin der 3 and produce'a spark.

This action will then go on automatically, a spark being produced at the proper moment in onecylindcr,

and yet no current will be passing to the I sparking'device in the other cylinder at that time. There is, further, no necessity of making but one wire connection to each sparking device or of having more than one brush for each sparking device, ass common return is,v

provided through the cylinder-easing. .The side rubbing contact of the beveled edge 36 of the electrode 34 against the electrode 80 will insure a good electrical contact between them; but if there is no frictional contact between the curved face 35 of electrode 34 and the reduced projection 31 those surfaces are liable to become coated .with the products of the burned vapor. presses the face 35 into contact with the projection 31, and if it is desiredto clean these contact parts of the electrodes a reciprocating motionmay be given to the electrode 31 by pressing against head 37 on shaft 33 outside of the casing. This will scrape the face 35 of electrode 34 over the projection 31 of the other electrode and effectually clean the contact parts. Piston-rod 4i mayhave sullicicnt lateral motion in the mouth of the dash- The s irin" 40, however l ion,'as meny changes may name having a rotating drive the'same,an ar mature-coil carried thereby and formingn part of each circuit, a com- In the above embodiment of myi when the piston recedes from'the cylinder, a sparking device for dev-ice'afler tlie burned a. sudden, and partial the cylinder. jlhis willlower the atn'iespherie pressm-en'pon the end inside of "the cylinder, mosphere on the head 37- will press in the rod 33, giving a slight reciprocating movement to electrode 34. The rod will then be automatically moved lon itmlinzilly in its bearing and the electrodes will he rubbed together: This will tend to keep the contactparts bright.

I Other advantages will appear from t-hedis closure herein made; but I do not desire to limit myself to this embodiment of my invenbe made therein without departing from the spiritithereof.

What I claim is-- 1. Ina vapor-engihefln conibinatiomeplurality of cylinders; a,pi'ston moving in each each cylinder embracing a pair of electrodes, an independent circuit for each pair shaft and means to mntaior having a segment electrically congas has been pelled menu in is "prod need in ofiherod 33 which is]- 4 and if the'sp'ring 38 is not too strong the pressure of the outside atof electrodes, :r d yy nected to" said coil and carriedhy the said shaft, :1- brnsh .for each circuit for each set of electrodes and in'contaet with said armature,

. break en eleetric circuit with the proper set of electrodes at the proper time. p 1 2". In avapor-e ngine in combination, 9. cylders, a-piston moving in each cylinder, a sparking device for each cylinder embracing a pair'of electrodes, one of'which is movable, an electric circuitconnecting-each pair of electrodes, e. dynamo having arotating shaft driven-by said engine, an armature havinga. segment electrically connected to said coil and also carried by said shaft; a brush for each circuit for eontactwithsaid armature, said segment being adapted tocomplete an electric circuit through each set of electrodes successively and independently, and means to disengage the movable elect-rode from the other elec- Witnesses:

EMERSON R. NEWELL L. VREELAND.

inder-casing inclosing a plurality of cylim- "saidsegmentbeing adapted to make and each set of electrodes and'in 1 trode to produce a spa-rk at the proper time. Y., this 21st (lay 

